The answer to both questions, is a qualified "yes".
If you're winning, you become the best.
If you keep winning, you stay the best, and the sponsorship(s) start coming.
He was the image of PokerStars for quite a few years...."retired", and has now shown up at GG, and Natural 8.
By his own admittance, he has never been a very good online player, but I wouldn't want to face him "live".
I would like to face him live more at a WSOP final table ... it would be great with Phil Hellmuth